Multicolored Lemur

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Atheist / Agnostic
Nov 23, 2021
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“A Republican senator blocked a Democratic-led attempt to pass legislation Tuesday that would have restored a Trump-era ban on bump stocks, an accessory that enables semi-automatic weapons to shoot at a very rapid pace, after last week's Supreme Court decision striking down the ban.

“Sen. Martin Heinrich, a New Mexico Democrat, requested that his bill banning bump stocks be brought up for a vote under unanimous consent, a procedure in which a measure passes so long as no lawmaker objects. Sen. Pete Ricketts, a Nebraska Republican, blocked the measure by objecting. . . ”

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This “unanimous consent” business doesn’t get as much attention as the filibuster, but apparently it’s powerful stuff.

And yes, I’m thinking there has to be a better way. Of course, there does! :)
 
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This “unanimous consent” business doesn’t get as much attention as the filibuster, but apparently it’s powerful stuff.
Interesting. Didn't know about that process.
 
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This “unanimous consent” business doesn’t get as much attention as the filibuster, but apparently it’s powerful stuff.
Interesting. Didn't know about that process.
Nor did I until about a year ago when Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-Alabama) blocked senior military promotions for about 9 months.

He did this because he strongly objected to the Department of Defense’s policy of paying for transportation for a service member seeking an abortion. For example, going to a state where abortion is legal.
 
Nor did I until about a year ago when Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-Alabama) blocked senior military promotions for about 9 months.

He did this because he strongly objected to the Department of Defense’s policy of paying for transportation for a service member seeking an abortion. For example, going to a state where abortion is legal.
Did some research the types of voting in the Senate. There's actually a couple of different types - all quotes below come from Senate.gov:
1. Roll call - "In a roll-call vote, each senator votes “yea” or “nay” as his or her name is called by the clerk, who records the votes on a tally sheet. In most cases a simple majority is required for a measure to pass."

2. Voice vote - "In a voice vote the presiding officer states the question, then asks those in favor to say "yea" in unison and those against to say "nay." The presiding officer announces the results according to his or her best judgment. In a voice vote, the names of the senators and the tally of votes are not recorded."

3. Division or standing vote - "The least common vote in the Senate is a division (or standing) vote. If a senator is in doubt about the outcome of a voice vote, he or she may request a division, whereby the presiding officer counts the senators voting yea and those voting no, to confirm the voice vote. Division votes are also commonly used for votes on treaties."

4. Unanimous vote - "Finally, much of Senate business is conducted by unanimous consent, in which a measure passes so long as no senator objects."

I wonder if there's some political strategic reasons for choosing one type over the other, especially for the majority party.
 
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